Size-adjustable shoe for hoofed animals

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a size-adjustable shoe for hoofed animals consisting of at least one protecting portion and a fixing portion wherein the protecting portion comprises at least one sole, a cap extending to the front and to both sides and a fixing device, and the fixing portion comprises at least one heel portion, two side tabs and a fixing device. The heel portion can be attached to the sole with an adjustable spacing, and the fixing devices enable a firm hold of the hoofshoe to the hoof.

The present invention relates to a size-adjustable shoe for hoofedanimals (ungulates).

Since a long time many species of hoofed animals have been domesticatedand are used as domestic animals or for sports purposes. These hoofedanimals include all races of horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules amongothers. Originally, these animals ran over a natural ground, andtherefore their hoofs were more or less abraded to the same extent towhich they grew. In contrast, however, the hoofs of domesticated hoofedanimals are subject to more abrasion on the often loose, unconsolidatedground on which they also carry loads.

In order to prevent this abrasion of the hoofs hoofed animals have beenshoed with horseshoes since a long time. For this purpose, a qualifiedfarrier or hoof carer fits horseshoes of a suitable size to the hoofsand attaches them with hoof nails. After six to eight weeks thesehorseshoes are replaced, on the one hand because they are worn off andon the other hand because the hoofs have grown in the meantime and haveto be trimmed.

Horseshoes show various disadvantages. They are very slippery dependingon the surface conditions. In cold weather, the strong sticking of snowand ice to the metallic horseshoes becomes a problem. During the winter,cleats to the horseshoes provide for a better grip to the ground.

For this reason, hoofshoes have been developed primarily for horses andhorse-like animals. They are fitted to each hoof individually byfarriers or hoof carers. Such shoes are fastened to the hoofs prior toriding and are removed afterwards. They consist mostly of plastic,textiles and/or leather and have a horseshoe-like profile on the sole toassure a good grip for the animal. Although the shoes are manufacturedin various sizes, the hoof carer has to fit each shoe with respect towidth, length and steepness by using a hot air hair dryer. After aboutsix months the soles are worn down, and the shoes have to be replaced.

A hoofshoe is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,422 which is open at itsbottom side where it exhibits the shape of a horseshoe. An complexbuckling mechanism with a padded ball portion provides support. It isnecessary, however, to check the fit regularly because otherwise thereis a risk of injury.

EP 0212445 describes a hoof garment wherein the attachment is performedin the region of the ankles and not in the region of the hoof as it isusually the case. Sites of chafing form after a long run.

CH 680181 describes another foot wear for hoofed animals having a rearfastening strap of the type of a heel strap which can lead to sites ofchafing. A hammer is used to put it on while a hoof pick is said to beuseful for its removal.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,732,929 and US 5,661,958 present hoofshoes which areprovided with a ski shoe buckle for tightening a strap on the front capthereof which has an adjustable heel strap. Due to its compact shapealso this shoe must be put on by means of a hammer and its later removalis very difficult.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,661 describes a hoofshoe having a fold-like heelportion to ensure an easier access. A nylon strap at the upper edgeprovides for hold. Due to its closed shape it can be used primarily asan orthopaedic shoe. On the other hand it can be hardly fit to differenthoof shapes.

In WO 0016614 a multilayered shoe for hoofed animals is presented.Although a complicated assembly technique provides for good hold, anassembly belt extends over the skin of the animal and thus can result insites of chafing upon slight slewing motions during running. Inaddition, three measurements have to be taken from the hoof to determinethe appropriate size of the shoe. Cleaning of the commercially availableversion made of leather is very difficult.

A shoe for hoofed animals is presented in EP 1008295 wherein an innerelement is deformable by pressure. However, a high pressure onto theball can be very painful for the horse. Therefore the pressureadjustment is very critical. The front portion of the shoe can beopened.

All the models described herein have different shortcomings which havebeen explained above.

A common problem is the size of the shoes and the rather complicatedfitting thereof. The more different sizes are fabricated the easier isthe fitting but also the more expensive is the fabrication and thelarger must be the storeroom of the vendor so that he always can offer afitting model. Additionally it has to be taken into consideration thathoofs grow constantly and thus will soon fit no longer into thewell-fitted shoe.

For the reason of the problems described herein of the known shoes forhoofed animals the present invention has the object of describing a shoefor hoofed animals which can be put on and off conveniently, providesfor a good hold, can be easily cleaned, does not cause sites of chafingon the animal, is built in a cost-effective and simple manner, and is atleast partially size-adjustable.

The object has been achieved by the features of claim 1.

In the following, the present invention will be described with respectto the drawings. The Figures show

FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a model of a hoofshoe for hoofedanimals according to the invention

FIG. 2 two different perspective views-and a back-view of-aprotecting-portion

FIG. 3 a perspective view of a fixing portion

FIG. 4 the view from the bottom of a possible embodiment of a profile

FIG. 1 shows an example of a completely closed hoof shoe 10 as it isemployed during use. In this arrangement it is similar to a shoeaccording to the state of the art.

It can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3 that the hoofshoe 10 consists of atleast two portions which are be completely detachable from each other,i.e. of a protecting portion 20 according to FIG. 2 and a fixing portion30 according to FIG. 3. These portions, appropriately placed one intothe other, result in an embodiment 10 according to FIG. 1.

The protecting portion 20, essentially consisting of a sole 21, a cap22, and a fixing device 23, represents the wear part which must bereplaced after it is worn down. The fixing portion 30, consisting of aninsole 31, a heel portion 32, two side tabs 33 and a fixing device 34,is individually adjusted in length to the hoof and can be attached toany other exchanged protecting portion 20. Accordingly, after thehoofshoe 10 has been worn down, first, only the protecting portion 20has to be replaced and, second, no new length fitting has to beperformed. On the one hand this lowers the usage costs and on the otherhand lowers the costs and efforts required for fitting.

On its bottom surface the sole 21 of the protecting portion 20 in FIG. 2can also have different profiles which can be selected according to thesurface conditions, time of the year, and riding style. A possibilityfor a preferred profile 40 is shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, threads 41can be for example added for the installation of cleats and/or means 42can be provided for the installation of metal pins such as spikes.Preferably, so-called spikes are cast into the sole during themanufacturing process. In order to keep abrasion at a minimum, the sole21 is preferably made from a strong material, preferably a hard plastic,for example polyurethane PU having an abrasion resistance with a Shorehardness of 80–100 A. Soles can be manufactured according to need forindividual fields of application such as for example for summer (withoutspikes) or winter requirements or for jumping.

Similar to conventional shoes for hoofed animals, the cap 22 can be madeof a softer material than the sole, for example also of plastic such asfor example PU. The wall thickness of the cap 22, however, is smallerthan that of the sole 21 and is between about 1 and 6 mm, preferablybetween 3 and 5 mm. Preferably, the cap 22 has one or more different,straight or shaped notches 24 with or without recesses enabling a fittedshape of the cap 22 to hoof shapes of variable steepness. The fixingdevice 23 at the cap 22 should be formed in such a way that it enablestogether with the fixing device 34 of the fixing portion 30 a goodfixation of these two portions 20, 30.

The cap 22 is provided to ensure a good hold of the hoof to the sole 21.The lateral portion of the cap 22 is the so-called stabilizer 27. It isthe purpose of the stabilizer 27 not to let the hoof slip off the sole21 and to provide for good stabilisation of the hoof within the hoofshoe10.

In order to improve the adherence of cap 22 to the hoof, a structure 25can be at least partially formed in or attached to the inner surface ofthe cap 22 and especially on its front portion and at both sides, forexample in the form of a rubber coating. This structure 25 has forexample the form of grooves or nubs. Another advantage of this structure25 is that it promotes air flow around the hoof.

On the inner surface of the sole 21 there can also be at least partiallyformed or attached a structure 26, for example in the form of grooves,serration or nubs, to promote air flow. A structure of this typeprevents slipping or twisting of the hoof within the hoofshoe.

The protecting portion 20 is open at its rear end so that longer hoofsdo not collide with the rear end.

The heel portion 32 itself is made of a strong material, preferably astrong plastic having a wall thickness of between 3 and 7 mm. At itsinner surface facing the hoof a padding 35 of a soft material may beinstalled, for example of a soft plastic or a neoprene to ensureconvenient and good hold to the rear portion of the hoof, the ballportion, and to prevent injuries. The side tabs 33 are on the other handmade from a similar material as the cap 22, and in the functional statecan be placed plain around the cap 22. The fixing device 34 is formed ina manner that it connects the two side tabs to the fixing device 23 atthe cap 22 and thus ensures a firm hold around the hoof.

The insole 31 is preferably articulated with the lower edge of the heelportion 32 and consists of a flexible, strong material, for example PUor a rubber mat or an equivalent material having a thickness of between1 and 7 mm, preferably between 3 and 5 mm. The insole 32 can bepreferably cast in one piece together with the heel portion 32 from thesame material.

For the assembly of the fixing portion 30 and the protecting portion 20,the insole 31 is placed onto a preferably essentially rectangular recess29 on the sole 21 of the protecting portion 20 and is fixed thereon in alength-adjustable manner. The fixation 36 can be carried out by means ofone or more, preferably by means of four screws. The insole 31originally is of a length sufficient to adapt the hoofshoe 10 also tolong hoofs. Studies have shown that in most of the cases it issufficient to adjust the length once.

Thus, after the insole 31 has been placed into the protecting portion20, the length of the hoofshoe 10 can be determined by inserting theinsole 31 more or less into the protecting portion 20. For smaller hoofsthe insole 31 can be shortened in length so that it can be fittedcompletely into the recess 29.

In this way the hoofshoe 10 can be adjusted in length and can be fittedto each individual hoof in a simple manner.

The screw fitting 36 can be performed directly through the insole 31into the sole 21 in the area of the recess 29. The recess 29 can beprovided with a strong plate, for example a metal plate. A plate of thistype, for example one made of a hard aluminum, can be cast in during themanufacturing process. This provides for a better grip for the screwsand an improved stability of the connection between the protectingportion 10 and the fixing portion 20. Alternatively or additionally,threads can be inserted in the sole, for example metal threads.

Preferably, the insole 31 has on its bottom surface a structure (notshown in the drawings) which together with a corresponding structure ofthe upper surface of the recess 29 essentially prevents displacement.

By the flexible connection of the insole 31 to the heel portion 32 andby the notches 24 with or without recesses in the cap 22 the hoofshoecan be easily opened ensuring a simple access for the hoof to thehoofshoe 10. Due to the notches 24 the cap 22 accommodates the steepnessof the hoof shape. By using the fixing devices 23, 34 the shoe can beeasily and firmly closed. For removal the steps are carried out in theopposite order so that the removal is as simple as the application.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fixing device 23, 34essentially comprises a strap 38 which similar to ski shoes, snowboardshoes, roller blades or inline skates can be connected to a buckle 39which is for example provided with a snap-in locking device for easyretightening. Eyes, loops or hooks 28 at the cap 22 ensure hold of thestrap 38 at the protecting portion 20.

The hoofshoe 10 can be easily cleaned by means of water and a brush.

The padding 35 prevents stones and other particles from getting into thehoofshoe 10 during running of the hoofed animal where they would causebruises, injuries an pain in the ball portion of the hoofed animal.

In the rear portion of the stabilizer 27 a fixed insole of a desiredthickness can be additionally installed if the hoof is narrower than theshoe. This improves the hold. Appropriate insoles of variable thicknessand with suitable attachment means, for example with an adhesive device,can be used during the size-adjustment to a hoof.

There are numerous alternative attachment means between the protectingportion 20 and the fixing portion 30 which are adjustable in length anddetachable. Thus, the insole 31 can also be passed under a clip which isattached to the protecting portion 20 and can afterwards be adjustablyand preferably detachably connected to the heel portion 32 forattachment.

The advantage of the present invention is the length adjustability ofthe hoofshoe 10 and the easy fitting thereof as well as in the goodadjustment of the fit to the hoof shape and the easy application andremoval. Another advantage is the quick, easy and firm attachment of thehoofshoe with good hold, the prevention of bruises, injuries and painfor example due to stones falling into the shoe and in thereplaceability of each one of the portions 20, 30 after they areabraded.

LIST OF NAMES

-   10 hoofshoe-   20 protecting portion-   21 sole-   22 cap-   23 fixing device-   24 notches-   25 structure on the cap-   26 structure on the sole-   27 stabilizer-   28 eyes or hooks-   29 recess-   30 fixing portion-   31 insole-   32 heel portion-   33 side tabs-   34 fixing device-   36 fixing for example by means of screws-   38 strap-   39 buckle-   40 profile-   41 thread-   42 metal pins or means therefore

1. A size adjustable hoofshoe (10) for hoofed animals consisting of atleast one protecting portion (20) and a fixing portion (30)characterized in that the protecting portion (20) comprises at least onesole (21) fully covering the hoof from the bottom side, a cap (22)extending to the front and both sides, and a fixing device (23) and inthat the fixing portion (30) comprises at least an insole (31), one heelportion (32), two side tabs (33) and a fixing device (34) wherein theheel portion (32) can be attached to the sole (21) by the insole (31) ina length-adjustable manner and wherein the fixing devices (23, 34)enable a firm hold of the hoofshoe (10) to the hoof.
 2. A hoofshoeaccording to claim 1 characterized in that the fixing portion (30) iscompletely detachable from the protecting portion (20).
 3. A hoofshoeaccording to claim 1 characterized in that on the inner surface of theheel portion (32) a padding (35) for the protection of the ball portionof the hoofed animal is attached.
 4. A hoofshoe according to claim 1characterized in that the cap (22) is provided with one or more notches(24) with or without recesses which are arranged to enable the cap (22)to accommodate hoofs of variable steepness.
 5. A hoofshoe according toclaim 1 characterized in that the sole (21) is provided with a profile(40) which preferably is non-slipping.
 6. A hoofshoe according to claim1 characterized in that the sole (21) has a thread (41) for cleatsand/or means for metal pins (42).
 7. A hoofshoe according to claim 1characterized in that the sole (21) has metal pins (42).
 8. A hoofshoe(10) for hoofed animals consisting of at least one protecting portion(20) and a fixing portion (30) characterized in that the protectingportion (20) comprises at least one sole (21), a cap (22) extending tothe front and both sides, and a fixing device (23) and in that thefixing portion (30) comprises at least one heel portion (32), two sidetabs (33) and a fixing device (34) wherein the heel portion (32) can beattached to the sole (21) with an adjustable spacing and wherein thefixing devices (23, 34) enable a firm hold of the hoofshoe (10) to thehoof, characterized in that on the inner surface of the cap (22) thereis at least partially formed or attached a structure (25) which ispreferably non-slipping with respect to a hoof.
 9. A hoofshoe (10) forhoofed animals consisting of at least one protecting portion (20) and afixing portion (30) characterized in that the protecting portion (20)comprises at least one sole (21), a cap (22) extending to the front andboth sides, and a fixing device (23) and in that the fixing portion (30)comprises at least one heel portion (32), two side tabs (33) and afixing device (34) wherein the heel portion (32) can be attached to thesole (21) with an adjustable spacing and wherein the fixing devices (23,34) enable a firm hold of the hoofshoe (10) to the hoof, characterizedin that an insole (31) is attached to the fixing device (34) and that atthe lower surface of the insole (31) as well as the sole (21) at itsupper surface are provided at least partially with structures which arenon-slipping with respect to each other.
 10. A hoofshoe according toclaim 9 characterized in that the upper surface of the sole (21) has apreferably essentially rectangular recess (29) into which the insole(31) can be inserted with an adjustable length.
 11. A hoofshoe accordingto claim 9 characterized in that the insole (31) can be attachedadjustably to the sole (21) by means of screws.
 12. A hoofshoe accordingto claim 1 characterized in that the fixing devices (23, 34) comprisestraps (38), buckles (39) and eyes, loops and/or hooks (28).